Alumni-Careers

Careers

Bonnie Wathen, Assistant Facilities Director

"The challenging and well-rounded education I received at UK equipped me with the knowledge necessary to be a competitive candidate in a variety of career fields. The relationships I built through my extracurricular activities and my internships gave me the confidence I needed to know that I can be successful in all my aspirations through dedication and hard work. ”

Degrees

2006 - B.S. in Natural Resource Conservation and Management, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture

2008 - M.S. in Public Administration, University of Kentucky, Martin School of Public Policy and Administration

Position

Currently I am the Assistant Director of University of Kentucky's Student Center. I focus mainly on event management which allows me to work with students, faculty, and staff to plan and execute events in the Student Center as well as Memorial Hall and outdoor spaces around campus. Our office manages over 9,000 events a year for the University community.

Preparation at UK

The challenging and well-rounded education I received at UK equipped me with the knowledge necessary to be a competitive candidate in a variety of career fields. The relationships I built through my extracurricular activities created a support system that I have continued to enjoy after graduation. The experience I gained during my internships gave me the confidence I needed to know that I can be successful in all my aspirations through dedication and hard work.

As an undergraduate, Dr. Larry Grabau was my academic advisor and Drs. Mike Mullen and Craig Infanger were supplemental advisors. I can honestly say that my advisors had a profound impact on my life. Dr. Grabau helped me choose classes that were challenging and relevant to my areas of interest. Dr. Grabau also advised me during my undergraduate internship as well as an independent study where I wrote a white paper on the air quality of Mammoth Cave National Park. Dr. Mullen encouraged me to become an Ambassador for the college and advised me in my academic pursuits. Dr. Infanger challenged me in his classes and honored me by allowing me to be a graduate intern for a program evaluation he oversaw for the state of Kentucky. All three of my advisors went above and beyond to help make my educational experiences at UK exceptional.

Best Experiences

I actually received academic credit for my two best experiences at UK. The first was as an undergrad at NRCM Camp, a field-work based class that took place in Robinson Forrest. I thoroughly enjoyed this extremely hands-on experience with my fellow class mates because it was a great environment to learn as well as build friendships. As a graduate student, I had the amazing opportunity to work on a grant project that evaluated the effectiveness of the Agricultural Development Board Investments from 2001-2006. Working on this project allowed me to travel around the state and see first hand how different sectors of agriculture operate. These two experiences were very different but both gave me extensive first-hand experience that prepared me for a variety of professions..

Supplementary Information

Awards

I was honored to be an Ambassador for the College of Agriculture, a member of Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society, and Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority as an undergraduate student. As a graduate student, I enjoyed being a member and officer for the Martin School's club, Res Publica. I was also awarded a graduate assistantship at the Student Center.

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